On the last day of Christmas
by Mrs-Karkaroff
Summary: An accident, shocked raindeers and Santa Clause in trouble


**On the last day of christmas**

"Paris? What do you think?"

"It's Christmas eve. We should be somewhere in a small village with loads of snow, an open fire, some hot tea … We could visit Mr Dickens again."

The Doctor looked irritated at Rose.

"Why so romantic?"

"Christmas means falling snow, candlelight, a church choir singing holy songs, maybe a sleigh-ride but not the Moulin-Rouge and half-naked girls."

"O.K., you won," the Doctor said while pressing some buttons on the TARDIS-computer. "How does 'Little Hulton' sound? Small enough?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor let the TARDIS fall back to the blue planet.

Suddenly there was a crash. Rose and the Doctor lost control and fell through the cabin like toys.

After what seemed like decades the TARDIS bumped hard on the ground and remained on its left side.

"Are you o.k.?" the Doctor asked while getting on his feet and opening the door of his machine which looked like one of these blue police phone boxes which could have been found on every street corner in the fifties.

"Yes," answered Rose with a weak and shaken voice. "What happened?"

The Doctor shrugged and left the TARDIS, Rose in his wake.

The blue box laid near a sleigh. Reindeers howled and an old man in a red dress tried to get up from the ground.

"Are you o.k.?" asked the Doctor while lending the old man a hand. "Do you need medical aid?"

"I am fine but my poor reindeers … they suffered a shock. And my sleigh … it is broken. And it is Christmas eve and I still have not delivered all the gifts …" said the man and wiped tears from his eyes.

"So, you are …?" asked the Doctor.

"Santa Claus, Sir. But please – call me Claus."

"Santa Claus does not exist," stated Rose. "It is a fairy tale for little children to make them behave like human beings – at least at Christmas time."

"And who, my dear lady, brings all the Christmas gifts when I do not exist?"

"The adults buy them in shops. I know that, I worked in a big store before I met the Doctor."

"The Doctor – that's me," said the Doctor and pointed at his companion. "And this is Rose."

Claus looked sadly at Rose. More tears were running down his red cheeks.

"When I decided to take over this job, nobody told me how hard it would be. People do not believe in me, children want to have guns and soldiers instead of dolls and card games and with this I have to make a whole years living within a few days. Rupert, who has been my assistant for so many centuries, resigned three months ago and my daughter suffers a flu. And now, my sleigh is damaged and I cannot deliver all the gifts in time. How disappointed all these children will be when they will find nothing under their Christmas trees? How many tears will they cry?"

"Maybe we can help you," said the Doctor. "I have to check my TARDIS but I think it still works properly. We can deliver your gifts."

Claus suddenly stopped crying and look interested at the strangers.

"This … box? Is it as good as my sleigh?"

"Much better. We can travel millions of light years within no time. The only problem might be that we cannot go down chimneys. We have to park outside."

"Don't mind! Chimneys are a bit out of fashion since people have central heating. Usually, I knock on the door."

"We have to bring the TARDIS in an upright position," the Doctor said.

"No problem," answered Claus, separated his reindeers from his damaged sleigh, turned the ropes round the blue box and gave a soft hiss. The animals pulled and in a second the TARDIS stood in its correct starting position.

"Collect your parcels and bring them in. I display the checklist," the Doctor said, smiling.

Ten minutes later they started their delivery tour.

"Never before in my life I worked that hard," sighed Rose, still in her white angel's dress she had worn on Claus's command. She stumbled into Claus's sitting room and let herself fall on the big sofa. "Christmas sales in our Mega-Store was holiday compared to that."

The Doctor said nothing, just sat in the big armchair by the fire and closed his eyes. He felt exhausted, tired and kind of silly in Rupert's old green costume.

They had delivered what seemed like thousands of Christmas gifts, had looked into happy children's eyes and had faced the anger of those who have not received what they wanted.

Finally they had got back to where the reindeers were waiting.

Claus had tied their ropes around the TARDIS. "Only the reindeers are able to find the way back to my house," he had explained.

Now, they were in this cosy and warm room which was dimly lit by the fire..

Claus arrived and brought cups and a big can full of a steaming liquid. In his wake was a young woman with light blonde hair. She wore a woollen scarf around her neck and had red eyes.

"My daughter Mary," Claus introduced her.

"Like 'Mary Christmas'?" Rose asked and chuckled.

"Mary Christmas? Never thought of that," Claus said with a warm smile. "Poor girl, she is really ill. Usually she is my bright little angel – smaller children are sometimes afraid of a fat stranger in an odd costume knocking at their doors. But she gets all their hearts."

Mary gave them a weak smile and a wave with her hand. Then, she left the room while Claus started pouring some of the steaming liquid into the cups and handing them to Rose and the Doctor.

"Spiced tea. It will warm you," he explained.

Then he brought two parcels wrapped in Christmas paper and handed them over.

"These are for you. It's a bit last-minute – I hope, you will like them."

Hesitantly, Rose started to unwrap her parcel.

"Wow!" she cried. "That's great!"

The Doctor also starred at his gift.

"A TARDIS-jumper," he said. "That's a great idea – we will surely need it next time when we deliver Christmas gifts. It will keep us warm."

He pulled over the black jumper which had a flying blue police telephone box surrounded by suns and planets on the front.

"Thank you," Claus said. "I could not have done it without you."

The Doctor turned to Rose and smiled: "You are right! This is really much better than Paris."

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If you open your Christmas gifts just give the Doctor a little thought – they would still be in Santa Clause's damaged sleigh without him.

Merry Christmas to all of you.


End file.
